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Energy Consumption

Jay Slough - Monday, June 28, 2010

Whenever households use energy that originates from a source that is readily available and does not impact the environment with a carbon footprint, it is called renewable energy. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the planet’s energy is derived from non renewable sources, primarily fossil fuels. We are all cognizant of the fact that we can’t continue to rely on non-renewable resources for energy consumption indefinitely. This is precisely the reason why it is imperative to shift to renewable energy sources as soon as possible.

Based on the 2007 edition of the Renewable Energy Trends in Consumption and Electricity released by theU.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable energy consumption hovered at 7 percent of the U.S. total. This figure is ominous considering the numerous incentives and legislations enacted by the government to push for renewable energy sources for energy consumption of households across the country. As residents of this great nation, we must take a good look at the way we live our daily lives, including how we use energy. There’s a multitude of advantages to using renewable energy, and it is high time  that we start to take a hard look at them.

There are several ways to get yourself off the grid and reap the benefits of electrical independence. These can be done gradually, at your preferred pace when it is affordable for you. For instance, you can harness solar energy with the use of solar panels or wind energy with the help of turbines.  Both are renewable energy sources that can be installed in your home and help you cut your electric bills while reducing you carbon footprint. Many simply have the notion that such equipments, their installation and maintenance are not practical and cost effective. However, nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact, these are the types of investments that homeowners should look into as they have the ability to pay for themselves in a short time. It is important that we begin to investigate these options, especially with the rising cost of electricity and fossil fuels.

Another option to break free from electrical dependence and reduce energy consumption is to use home automation systems. Think about it, a well designed home automation system can provide a lot of benefits and huge savings in energy consumption. Home automation comes in different forms such as lighting control systems, heating control systems, intelligent power switching, ventilation, sound and air conditioning controls. These sorts of stuff used to be exclusive to the rich and famous, but with advances in technology, automated devices and gadgets are now affordable.

A more balanced energy plan for the U.S. is long over-due and as the world’s largest economy, we have been fossil fuel fat far too long.  There is a brewing debate as to how much energy consumption our nation can reduce with the help of technology. If we focus on efficiency, a recent study claimed that we can cut on our energy consumption by as much as 35%. However, this drew the ire of the Environmental Protection Agency which said that the country can save up to 50% of its energy consumption come 2025 or earlier. Whichever is the case, the bottom line is that addressing the issue of energy usage must be a concerted effort as we must all work together, the consumer, the government and the various industries.

Renewable Energy Trends

Jay Slough - Saturday, June 19, 2010

The growing number of federal and state incentives, legislations and tax credits for companies generating renewable energy sent a clear message that the renewable energy sector is on the rise. It carries with it a huge potential for energy efficiency and profitability while helping to protect and preserve the planet. This collective foray in renewable energy is quite evident in the ‘clean energy economy’ which has been regarded as a key component of the United State’s new economic landscape.

Based on a report from The Pew Charitable Trusts titled The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America,

the clean energy economy has been fuelling jobs and business opportunities across the 50 states for nearly a decade. In fact, jobs in the clean energy economy rose by 9.1 percent between 1998 and 2007, outperforming total jobs, which only grew by about 3.7 percent.  As states continue to implement policies to contribute more to the clean energy economy, the market has seen a sharp increase in demand for renewable energy sources and energy-efficient products and services.  A report issued by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory revealed that between 2001 and 2006, the demand for renewable energy increased a thousand-fold. There is no doubt that the renewable energy industry is generating an unprecedented number of jobs while concurrently promoting environmental consciousness.

Businesses are receiving tax credits for shifting their power sources to renewable energy. This has resulted into a steady boost in the demand for workers in every sector of the industry including research and development, power generation, distribution, installation, service and technical support. In addition, multinational corporations such as General Electric, FedEx, Kinko’s, Starbucks, Bank of America, Toyota and General Motors have made the switch to renewable energy. For these companies, going green is not just about image building, they know that it has the potential to cut costs while helping to clean up the environment. Even the U.S. military has taken an active role in promoting the clean energy economy. The Pentagon ordered all branches of the military to reduce energy consumption by 2% through the help of renewable power sources such as wind and solar energy.

In the construction and real estate industry, builders and developers are riding the band wagon not only because of a sense that it's the right thing to do, but also because of the realization that they simply can't afford to be left behind. More and more real estate developers are currently using green construction materials and building technologies as these have been proven to add no more than one to two percent to their total costs, which can quickly be recovered through energy savings. At present, the federal government is requiring new public buildings to comply with the LEED standards (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), that necessitates the utilizations of non-toxic construction materials.

The trend towards the use of renewable energy is at its all-time high and if we look down the horizon, we can only see more innovations heading our way. But regardless of what’s in store for us, one thing is certain: as the demand for renewable energy continues, research and development into better ways of harnessing renewable energy will also continue. Ultimately, we will all have more efficient and affordable energy sources.

Best Home Theaters

Jay Slough - Tuesday, June 08, 2010

It’s quite likely that at one time you have gone to the movies to watch a box office hit.  Then midway through the film you started to imagine that it would have been really cool if you could have watched all the action right in the comfort and solace of your home. This choice is actually open to you! All that you have to do is to shop around for the best home theater systems in the market.

The recent advancements in technology have allowed manufacturers to offer premium quality entertainment systems that were virtually unheard of a couple of years ago. As such, consumers’ preferences have also evolved from seeking modest entertainment gadgets to demanding for the best home theater systems. However, what’s “best” is highly subjective and may differ from one consumer to another. In fact, the best home theaters are those which perfectly suit the consumer’s needs and preferences. It will all boil down to what you want and how much you are willing to shell out for a system.

At this point you may be thinking that your home theater will punch a big hole in your pocket. Sure, you can easily spend five figures for the latest in home theaters and if you do shop around for the best home theater systems based solely on money, then you will find that your home theater is going to be expensive. However, what you really need to set up an excellent home theater system are a few items: a TV or a projector screen, a set of state-of-the-art speakers, a DVD player and/or a VCR. True blue enthusiasts are even going for Blu-ray players and streaming media from Pandora and Netflix.

Nowadays, wide screen TVs are all the rage and you can choose to upgrade to high definition: either LCD or plasma. If you’re after larger screen size then you go for plasma. It has been widely considered as the ideal choice but LCDs have closed the gap and are also getting much bigger in size. So you have to make a decision based on your needs and your allotted budget. The next thing to consider is the DVD player. Always choose the best one with surround sound and high definition so you can enjoy movies as if you were at the cinemas. Add to that the quick access to the World Wide Web with just a few tweaks in the cable connections. The other items that you will need to complete your home theater system are the speakers. These usually come in 5.1 channel with left, right, middle, left rear, and right rear. You should always choose speakers that can play different sound formats and carry through high quality Dolby Digital surround sound.

With an array of home theatre systems being introduced in the market, it is important and imperative to do your research and consult professionals in the field. Power Plus is an expert in home automation and highly focused on the cutting edge of technology, bringing custom home audio and video that fits your needs perfectly. In the end, the best home theater system provides all the necessary functions to deliver that movie-like experience, without being overly-expensive.


   

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